


party favors

by actuallyshua



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Attempt at Humor, Elemental Magic, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Rochan Centric, Shapeshifting, beginning relationship stuff, but like arent we all, chanhee is just bitter that seokwoo is pretty, everyone is bad at feelings, like they end up together but its very much, no one knows anything, the to lovers tag is vague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-05-31 17:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19430485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actuallyshua/pseuds/actuallyshua
Summary: You can't change everything in one night, but one night can change everything.Or -Chanhee faces his demons and realizes that maybe he was wrong.





	party favors

There was a bird in his room. 

As he flapped his large black wings, he left out a loud caw before pecking at Chanhee's pillow. Clearly a sign of defiance because the raven knew how much Chanhee hated this. It had been a conversation they had had many times before and Chanhee was certainly in no mood to have it again.

It was a game to the winged creature, flying in on the days when Taeyang just wanted a little more sunlight or wanted to listen to the bustling of the busy university quad below. Funnily enough, Taeyang was almost never home when Chanhee's dear flying friend would decide to visit. 

He really hated when Taeyang left the window open.

Chanhee was standing in front of his now closed door, eyes narrowed and fists at his side as the raven plucked a massive piece of cotton from inside his favorite pillow.

He _really_ hated when Taeyang left the window open.

So, maybe the story really should've started like this...

Sanghyuk was in his room. 

"Get out. I have an exam to study for today. And I told you to stop coming in through the window, you know," He set his bag down and swatted at the bird, who cawed loudly and flapped his wings, "One of these days it's going to be closed and when you smash your head against it, I'm not going to be the one to help you." 

Another caw and Chanhee rolled his eyes, settling himself down into his desk chair and opening his laptop, "Fine. If you're going to stay here, you have to be human so I can at least talk to you. Taeyang won't be back from class for another two hours and I need someone to lament to. I had a horrible day."

He didn't really. His day was actually rather boring but he knew that it would work. This was confirmed as he heard a slightly shuffling followed by a small gust of wind that grazed over the back of his neck. With a sigh, Sanghyuk sat down in Taeyang's empty desk chair.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Chanhee smiled, "I just didn't want to have to listen to bird cawing." 

Sanghyuk groaned, draping his body over the chair dramatically, spreading his limbs far enough so that he accidentally kicked Chanhee. The shapeshifter was ever the dramatic one, he had been since Chanhee had met him. Sanghyuk was a stark difference from his roommate, Youngbin, who resided with him in the shifters dormitories. Chanhee never really understood the separation of powers. It really all seemed a little old school to him. But, on the flip side, the botanical dorm was a lot less chaotic than the the shifters, the elementals, and the alchemists. He was surrounded by peace and quiet and, most of all, his plants. 

Well, for the most part.

"You should consider yourself lucky. I considered shifting into a fly and buzzing around your ear for a solid hour."

"I have bug repellent. You literally would've died."

Sanghyuk opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, opting for pouting instead. Taking the rare moment of silence and running with it, Chanhee got to work on his botany studies, eyes tired from his long day of lectures. 

"Oh, hey. Juho said there's a party tonight off campus. We should go!" 

Chanhee repressed rolling his eyes, knowing Sanghyuk was probably still riding a high from talking to Juho. It had been something Chanhee had been dealing with for two years now, Sanghyuk's disgusting puppy love crush on the light elemental, never making any moves but certainly talking Chanhee's ear off enough about his beautiful smile and broad shoulders and adorable sneezes. It was really enough to make him sick. 

"I don't like parties, you know that."

"Come on," Sanghyck whined, closing Chanhee's laptop quickly, "This is our in! Our chance!"

Chanhee, still reeling from the prospect of losing his botany study guide, glared at Sanghyuk, "Our chance for what? You to finally tell Juho that you're in love with him?"

"Maybe! But it's our chance to get in with elementals. Everyone wants to."

Chanhee didn't want to. 

The thing about elementals was that everyone kissed the ground they walked on, worshiped them like some gods that required a sacrifice of your dignity. And, just like the division of dorms, Chanhee never bought into that. They were powerful, sure, but so was he. So was Taeyang. So were Sanghyuk and Youngbin. He remembered growing up and hearing stories of kids presenting as elementals. Their parents would tell everyone, parading them around town, making sure absolutely everyone around them knew who they were. It fostered a sense of entitlement within them that lead to Chanhee having less than pleasant interactions with almost all of them.

And the interactions continued even into university.

It was almost worse here and now, as it seemed, even that drive to want to be close to greatness had taken over his friend. 

"Who is having the party?" He asked cautiously, not wanting to give Sanghyuk any hope that he was actually agreeing to going.

Sanghyuk hesitated and Chanhee got his answer from the silence.

"Absolutely not." He said flatly, standing up and walking over to his bed, busying himself with fixing the pillow raven Sanghyuk had so kindly torn apart. He heard his friend groan and the chair squeak against the floor as he stood up.

"I know you hate him but please! I can't go alone. Taeyang sucks at parties because he dips almost immediately and Youngbin is so grumpy, he'll just sulk in the corner the entire time so I'm not even inviting him. You're the only one who will actually hang out with me!" 

"You really think I would ever step foot in Seokwoo's house? He's an asshole, Sanghyuk. They all are," He paused for a moment, "Okay, Juho is fine, he gets a pass. But not them. Everyone's been blowing smoke up their asses for so long, they don't even see themselves as human anymore. They think they're gods." 

Sanghyuk grabbed Chanhee's arm, shaking it back and forth dramatically, "Please please please please! I never ask you for anything!" 

"You literally ask me for things all the time. At least three times a day, in fact." 

Chanhee tried to keep himself busy with cleaning up their dorm room as Sanghyuk continued to beg him to go, the words going in one ear and out the other. 

And really, maybe he was being a little dramatic. 

He'd never say it out loud, he'd spent too long building up his walls against the elemental, but Seokwoo really wasn't all _that bad._

Seokwoo was a pompous, know it all, snarky, water bending, nice guy with a too wide for his face smile and legs that went on for weeks. Chanhee had seen right through him since they'd met. Which was in the middle of the cafe during Chanhee's freshman year when Seokwoo had bumped into him, spilling his latte all over his new button up that his mom had gotten him. Seokwoo was apologetic and rushed to dab him with napkins, but Chanhee didn't ignore the way that he and his friends were laughing. 

The chuckles and stares would continue well into the year. Jaeyoon and Youngkyun were the worst. They seemed to be a two for one deal, always with each other, always in sync, always bumping fists and sharing laughs. Chanhee didn't know much about them, really. Just that Jaeyoon would bend the earth beneath people's feet while they were walking to make them trip and Youngkyun once "accidentally" set the chemistry lab on fire, giving everyone an extra week to prepare for their exam.

Chanhee couldn't really hate him for that. 

Technically, he couldn't really hate any of them for anything. They were annoying. And that was that.

He was thrust back into reality when Sanghyuk grabbed his shoulders and began shaking him violently, his head bobbing back and forth like some sort of rag doll.

"Alright! Alright," He shouted, shoving his friend away, "But you have to promise me something." 

"Yes. Anything!" 

"Youngbin is coming with us." 

Sanghyuk groaned loudly, throwing his head back in resistance, "Why do we have to invite grandpa?" 

"Because he's the only one in this damn school with a good head on his shoulders and I need company when you leave to drool over Juho." 

The door opened and Chanhee was surprised to see Taeyang enter the room, knowing that his botany lecture didn't end for another hour or so. Behind him, Younghyun from down the hall waltzed in and it took all of Chanhee's self control to not roll his eyes. All of his cleaning would be for nothing now that the bass playing, chaos reigning, giant Venus fly trap handler was here. 

"What does Sanghyuk look like you just told him his puppy died?" 

"Hello to you too," Chanhee huffed at his roommate, "Don't you guys have class now?" 

"It ended early because Sungjin got bit by," Younghyun paused, setting his bag down, "He got hurt." 

Taeyang let out a barking laugh at this, "Yeah, right! He almost got his hand taken off by one of your monsters." 

"They're not monsters!" 

"They're disgusting and I can't believe those are your chosens." 

"Yeah," The boy huffed, flopping his body down in Chanhee's desk chair, "Well, I least I have my chosens." 

Chanhee kicked the boys feet at this, causing him to yelp and retreat his limbs with a pout on his face, "Don't be a dick. You guys are coming to a party with us tonight so you might want to at least put a little effort into your looks." 

"No! You can't invite them!" 

"We're literally right here." Taeyang narrowed his eyes at Sanghyuk. 

But it was settled and three hours later, Chanhee found himself smushed between Younghyun and Sanghyuk in the backseat of Youngbin's SUV, heading to the house that had sealed his fate. He was about two seconds away from slapping Younghyun if he dared to hum that same annoying tune again but held back, figuring that it might put a damper on things. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, oddly enough, and Chanhee didn't want to be the wet blanket. He didn't want to interrupt Sanghyuk saying how excited he was to see Juho, or Taeyang excited for the drinks. He didn't want to talk about the fear of seeing them. 

It wasn't fear.

It was annoyance. 

He told himself that time and time again. 

What was there to even be afraid of? 

"We're here." Youngbin announced to the group as the car came to a stop and Sanghyuk nearly fell out, he opened the door so quickly. Chanhee let out a small laugh and began to follow the rest of the group but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Younghyun looking at him, a rare sincerity in his eyes. 

"This will be fun, you know? I know you hate parties, hate this crowd," He paused and Chanhee swallowed whatever he was going to say to make this stop, "Hate him. But I've told you a thousand times, he's not that bad. None of them really are. Jaeyoon and Youngkyun are clowns, at the very most. Inseong would literally give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. And Seokwoo, he's just...he gives in. You should try talking to him. He'll surprise you." 

And of course, just like that, he was gone and joined the others in walking towards the house. 

Chanhee stared at the blank space for a while, sure none of his friends even knew he wasn't there. It was a conversation they had had before. Always in confidence, without the noise or the pressure. The thing about Younghyun was that he was friends with everyone and despite Chanhee's best act, the boy was impossible not to like. So maybe he was right. Maybe he knew something that Chanhee didn't. 

But Chanhee just let the words sink in and shook his head, "Fucking idiot." 

He slid out the car and jogged to join his group, all of them sliding into the house with ease. The crowd was big, just as he expected, and he quickly saw a few familiar faces. He waved to one of those faces, Kokoro, the freshman who he tutored in math every Wednesday, surprised to see her here. She made her way over to him, thankfully nothing but a can of Coke in her hands. Chanhee wasn't really in the mood to go into dad mode with his freshman friends.

"Hey, Chanhee. You look incredibly excited to be here." 

"And you look incredibly out of place. I didn't know you liked parties?" 

"I don't, really," She waved her hand to the right and Chanhee followed it, seeing a group of girls dancing and laughing amongst each other, "But they do. Peer pressure at it's finest." 

He laughed, but only a little bit, "Don't let it get to you too much. If you need anything, call me, okay? Youngbin drove us here and we can always give you a ride back to the dorms."

She reached up and ruffled his hair, "I can always count on you, big brother." 

She started calling him that just a month after they met each other. Maybe it was all the help in math, maybe it was because he'd talked her through all of her boy problems, maybe it was because he'd picked her up from Remi's house at 4 in the morning when she was homesick and wanted to eat sushi. It could've been anything, really. But in the end, he guessed he was just happy to be there for her. Plus, having an energetic for a friend has it's perks. 

"Hey, while you're here, can you do your freaky energy thing? I need a boost." 

"Why would I help you after you calling my power freaky?" She cocked an eyebrow and Chanhee sighed. 

"Okay, okay. Fine. Can you please help me? I'll do your math homework on Wednesday." 

Kokoro paused, mulling it over with an exaggerated facial expression, before pressing a finger to Chanhee's chest. It happened in the blink of an eye but felt like an eternity. Sometimes it felt like a bolt of lightning but other times it felt like a flower blooming in his chest. Thankfully, tonight was a night for flowers. But of course, nothing was as it seems. He felt a sharp pain in his finger tips and he jumped back, making fists tightly.

"Why'd you supercharge?! You know that hurts!" 

She laughed, light and airy, "You're so uptight, big brother. Relax! And don't forget about my homework!" 

Kokoro disappeared into the crowd again and with furrowed eyebrows, Chanhee rubbed the middle of his chest. Energetics, while usually incredibly kind and warm-hearted people, sure did have a side of them that burned. Literally. 

Feeling a little more _lively,_ he made his way through the crowd, searching for his friends but of course, coming up empty. The party was just a sea of bodies and their incredibly loud voices, showing off their various abilities and tricks up their sleeves, trying to wow each other into thinking that any of this mattered.

This was why Chanhee hated parties. No one was genuine, trying to be real. They were all wearing their social masks. And maybe that made him a bit of a pessimist, as Sanghyuk would say, but to him it was just being truthful. But that was just college in a nutshell. 

Giving up on standing around like an idiot with his hands in his pockets, Chanhee decided his best bet would be the drink table. 

Some people might call it irony, later down the road Chanhee would call it fate, but as he walked through the crowd again, someone knocked into him, causing a liquid to spill down his chest and pant leg. 

"Oh god, I'm so sorry." 

Oh, he'd recognize that voice anywhere. 

"This feels familiar, Seokwoo." He looked up at the boy, wishing he hadn't. 

He looked great. Of course he did. 

"Chanhee," He hated the way his name rolled off of Seokwoo's tongue, "Can't say I expected to see you here! I'm so sorry about your shirt. Again. You're not going to make any of the plants eat my friends or anything, right?" 

"That's Younghyun's job." He brushed past Seokwoo but was, much to his dismay, followed. 

"Oh yeah. I heard about that. Sungjin almost lost a hand! Here, let me fix you a drink. That's two I've spilled on you now. What do you like?" 

They made it to the drink table, littered with empty cups and bottles, nothing really looking appealing. His eyes traveled up to Seokwoo, who was busying himself with cleaning up a spill, tongue poking out from behind his lips and eyebrows furrowed. He looked childish. He looked ~~cute~~ dumb. 

"What are you drinking?" He tugged up the collar of his shirt and fake sniffed it, "It smells good." 

The surprising dialogue made Seokwoo laugh, "I said I was sorry! I know I'm at zero brownie points with you, maybe the drink can bump me up to at least one. It's a rum drink," He held up the bottle, "Is that cool?" 

Chanhee opted for nodding instead of answering, leaning against the table as Seokwoo set to work. 

"Can you work with any type of liquid?" 

He wasn't sure where the question came from, really. He wasn't looking to have a conversation, get to know him, but here he was. Seokwoo seemed equally curious, pausing for a moment to look at him with wide eyes before setting back to the task at hand.

"I can but it's not as easy. I'm not even that good at water control, honestly. Jaeyoon and Inseong are the best elementals. They have complete control. Youngkyun likes to think he has control but," A small eye roll, "We know he doesn't. Those fire types, you know? Cocky bastards because they're the strongest. He'd go around with his arms on fire if the school would let him. Here, let me know if it's too strong or not enough. I can make another." He held out the cup and Chanhee slowly took it, soaking in Seokwoo's words. 

He sounded oddly humble. Unsure of himself. 

"You don't think you're that good?" 

Seokwoo shrugged, "I could be better. But hey, that's what we're here for, yeah? How's botany going?" 

"Um, fine. I guess." 

He took a sip of the drink that was made for him, wishing it was awful. Praying he could slide it back across the table, say he didn't want it. But it was perfect. It wasn't too sweet or too strong. It burned his throat in a warm, almost comforting way. 

"Good?" 

"Yeah," He lifted the cup up in Seokwoo's direction, "Thanks. I um, should go look for my friends now." 

"Yeah, of course. Sorry about your shirt. I promise one day I'll bump into you with nothing in my hands. Come grab me if you want another drink. That's a Seokwoo special." And there was that slightly cocky, never serious tone again. Chanhee nodded and turned on his heel, trying to disappear into the sea of bodies as quickly as possible. Away from the conversation, away from that boy. 

He spotted Sanghyuk's familiar face and smiled before quickly stopping and dropping the expression. Juho came up next to him, an arm around his waist, and the two were having a conversation that he certainly wouldn't be invited to. The type of conversation Sanghyuk had been hoping for for a long time, the one that he had kept Chanhee up until 3am for. Sanghyuk was smiling wide, genuine and true. He wasn't wearing a mask. And neither, apparently, was Juho.

It was mutual, just as Chanhee had been telling him for months now. The way Juho's eyes were shining, looking at Sanghyuk like he was the only other boy in the room. Chanhee had been nervous the first time Sanghyuk talked about Juho. What if he was like them? What if Sanghyuk got hurt? But now, the smiles and laughs and Sanghyuk dipping his head into Juho's shoulder, Chanhee supposed he really had nothing to worry about. 

He wondered what that was like. That feeling of being touched by someone you love, someone you have craved. Chanhee had a couple crushes before, nothing that ever really became anything, never developed into anything serious. He didn't really think about all that much, in all honesty. More like fleeting thoughts that took up space in his mind for a millisecond at a time. 

The rest of the night went by exactly how he thought it would. Chanhee standing the corner with Youngbin and Taeyang on either side of him, fighting about something he absolutely didn't care about. But weirdly, he didn't feel annoyed or out of place. He was rather enjoying people watching. 

Well.

Person watching. 

Seokwoo was a social butterfly. Everybody seemed to know him, greeting him with hugs and mile wide smiles. He wondered what they saw in him and why he couldn't see it too. Maybe they were just kissing his ass, buttering him up to make sure they were always on the invite list, always welcome into his home. To his drinks. To his music. Everything. How many of these people really knew him? 

As if sensing Chanhee needed answers, Younghyun appeared, a lopsided smile on his face and bottle of liquor in hand. 

How was he able to swipe an entire bottle?

Besides the point.

"Hey," Chanhee greeted him, "Can I talk to you?" 

"We are currently talking." Younghyun winked and again, Chanhee resisted slapping him.

"I meant somewhere else." 

"Oh my god, Chanhee. Are you inviting Younghyun to somewhere more private? I always knew you liked him." Taeyang nudged him gently, wiggling his eyebrows. 

He mulled it over for a bit. The idea of slapping every single one of his friends. They all needed it, really. It would knock some sense into them. But instead, he just shoved Taeyang away from him and stepped forward, grabbing Younghyun's sleeve and tugging him away from the cackling duo that always managed to give him a headache. 

They made it outside, much quieter than the party, onto the back porch and Younghyun stumbled into the railing, "Geez, what's the rush? Here, you want some?" He held out the bottle but Chanhee shook his head. He was waiting for his cup to be filled with something else. 

"What do you know about him?" 

"Vague question as always, my friend. I need more details." 

Chanhee let out an agitated puff of air. Why couldn't his friend just be a mind reader like Remi? He never had to talk about his feelings with her, she always just knew. 

"Seokwoo. What do you know about him? You're always telling me he's not like," A brief pause, "He's not the way I painted him in my mind. Why?" 

"I'll answer your question with another question. Why did you paint him like that in the first place? Because he spilled his coffee on you the first time you met him? I've done much more annoying things to you than that and you still hang out with me." 

Chanhee shook his head at this, "They laughed at me. They're jerks." 

"How do you know?" 

"Why are you being like this? Why can't you just have a conversation with me? They're assholes, Younghyun. Typical egotistical assholes."

"They play pranks on their friends. Think about it," Younghyun stood up from the railing, walking around, "Have you really ever seen any of them messing with anyone they didn't know? Really hurting anybody? They were probably laughing because Seokwoo is a clumsy idiot. And you probably had some snarky remark to him that put him in his place. I can almost guarantee you that made them crack up because, despite what you want everyone to think about you, you're funny and witty and smart. You're kind and caring. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe it's not them who are the ones wearing those masks you always talk about?" 

It got too real, too quickly. Chanhee just wanted to hear that maybe Seokwoo volunteered at an animal shelter on Sundays. Maybe helped an old lady cross the street once or twice. He didn't want to hear that. 

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. They have all the friends and you have us because we're the only people you let in. There is absolutely nothing wrong with protecting yourself from whatever it is that you're afraid of but it's unfair to project and you know that." 

"I'm not projecting!" He yelled, accidentally. Younghyun raised his eyebrows and Chanhee expected him to just walk away. But instead, he smiled and shook his head. 

"Just talk to him, Chanhee. I've been telling you for months now. Even in our world, there are still things that can surprise you." 

Now, he walked away. 

Chanhee would've walked away as well, probably to sulk in Youngbin's car until it was time to leave. But he was rooted to the ground. Literally.

It happened when he got angry. The vines would always find him, keep him steady, keep him level headed, give him time to stand and think things over. Usually, he appreciated his gift. The ability to communicate with nature the way that he could. But this time, he looked down and narrowed his eyes at the small green vines that were wrapped around his feet, "Read a room. Now is obviously not the time. And you've broken part of the deck! Who is going to pay for that? You?" 

"Who are you talking to?" 

Why was everything in his life so cliche? 

Chanhee looked up to see Seokwoo stepping out onto the porch, two cups in his hand and a confused look on his face. 

"Them." He pointed down and Seokwoo's eyes followed, widening at the green entrapment. 

"Holy shit. That's so cool! Are those your uh," He set the cups down on the railing, "I don't remember what you guys call them." 

"Chosens. And no, I don't think so. You can control your chosen botanical. I can't control these, I think they just like to bother me. Such as everything else in my life." 

"Here. I made you another drink. I saw you out here talking to Younghyun. It looked kind of serious. Figured you might need it." 

Seokwoo gestured to one of the cups and Chanhee stared at it for a while, remembering his friend's words. Was Chanhee wearing a mask? He never really saw it that way. Yeah, maybe he was a little unapproachable at times. And yeah, maybe he did that on purpose. But it was for his own good. He had his friends, he didn't need anyone else. 

_Just talk to him._

"That's nice. Thank you." 

"No problem! Friends can be tough. Were you guys fighting, or?" He slightly trailed off and Chanhee felt the vines begin to loosen. He was alright. 

"Not exactly. More like him calling me out on my bullshit. Which I'm not used to, to be honest." 

Seokwoo hummed knowingly, "I know that feeling all too well. That's what friends are for. Jaeyoon and Inseong call me out on something at least three times a day. Bullshit aside, are you enjoying the party? I've never seen you come to one before." 

"It's alright. You certainly have a lot of friends." Chanhee shrugged before taking a sip of his new drink, still seething that it was once again perfect and delicious. 

Seokwoo let out a breathy laugh at this, shaking his head, "I don't know most of these people. It was supposed to be just a little get together with me and the guys but word gets around, I guess. I'm always happy to host, though."

That came as more than a surprise to Chanhee, who raised his eyebrows in response. Everyone knew Seokwoo, that was evident. 

"It doesn't get annoying? Like," He looked through the window, unable to see through the house due to the number of people crowding the inside, "All these people in your house? I get annoyed when there's more than two people in my room." 

Seokwoo walked over to the small table that was on the porch, gesturing for Chanhee to do the same now that he was freed from his viney prison. His brain was telling him not to move but it seemed his body had a different idea when his steps started and eventually, he found himself sitting across from Seokwoo.

It was strange, really. Just the two of them. It had never been like this before. Only passing conversations that Chanhee avoided, surrounded by their selected friends. But he looked different in this light. Something about the way the stars looked out here, how to single porch light illuminated his face, casting shadows in the vast dips and dives of his structure. 

Different, is what Chanhee told himself. But if you read his mind, the word beautiful would be running around it. 

"I wouldn't really call it annoying. It's kind of a weird thing. Ever since I presented as an elemental when I was a kid, that seemed to change everything. When I was little, it was really cool. I felt like a king or something. But now that I'm growing up and really thinking about it, I don't think most of those people in there even really care about me. Or Inseong, or Youngkyun, or Jaeyoon. It's probably safe to say that they care about Juho," Chanhee was nodding along with Seokwoo's words and smiled lightly at this, "He's a great guy. But, I don't know. I started to realize how fake it all is a while ago. I mean, why do people think that some powers are better than others, you know? There are people at this school who can bend time, transport to different dimensions, control plants, read minds. I can barely make a wave in a bathtub." 

Chanhee wasn't sure what was happening tonight. Maybe there was something in the air that was causing everyone around him to just spill out all of their honest emotions, breaking down his very well built and sturdy walls with the slips of their tongues. 

"That," He paused and cleared his throat, looking down at his cup as he swirled the drink around in it, "That makes sense. I've wondered that for a while too." 

"Can I ask you a super honest question?" 

Yeah, it had to be something in the air.

"Sure." 

"Why do you hate me?" 

It was a question he never thought he would have to answer. Never have to honestly think about. Younghyun had given him shit for hating Seokwoo for a while now but never really pressed him too hard about it, always just left it alone after a while. But he was here now. In front of Seokwoo. Having to face the truth. And as his brain searched and reached for any sort of answer, it always came up dry. There was just nothing there for him to say or confess. No dramatic moment of confronting Seokwoo. 

He thought about lying, about making something up that maybe Seokwoo would just go along with. But he looked up at the boy across from him again and saw his eyes, the way they were soft with curiosity and swirling with doubt. Chanhee had done that to him. 

"I don't hate you." 

"You act like you do. I just want to know if I've ever done something or said something that maybe came out wrong or across the wrong way. I've tried to talk to you before, you know? When we had bio together sophomore year. You just kind of ignored me. I've never really had the courage to ask you about it but," He lifted up his cup, shaking it from side to side a couple of times, "I have a bit of liquid confidence and finally a moment of you staying in one spot long enough to talk to you." 

Chanhee leaned back in the chair a bit, his limbs feeling heavy with an emotion he couldn't put his finger on and his heart picking up the pace with each passing moment.

"Your friends...I know it sounds stupid but that day we first met and you bumped into me. They just kept laughing at me. It felt really mean, I guess. And now that I say that out loud, it sounds so stupid and petty. Like, what is this? Middle school? I don't know why I wasn't able to let that go. And then the times in bio, it was the same. The laughter and stuff. I don't know." 

Seokwoo was silent for a while and it weighed heavily in the atmosphere. Maybe this was why Chanhee never really spoke his mind. 

He was about to say something when Seokwoo beat him to it. 

"They weren't laughing at you. They were laughing at me, if that makes you feel better." 

Chanhee cocked an eyebrow at this, "Why would they laugh at you?" 

There was silence again but it was different. It wasn't heavy or suffocating. It just...was.

"You don't remember, I guess. But we met before the cafe incident that left me in the doghouse from that moment. Well, I guess saying we met is a bit of an exaggeration. We were in the same tour group but you hung out with Sanghyuk the entire time and Jaeyoon was stuck with me so we didn't get to talk. But I remembered you. I just," He paused and took a deep breath in, leaving Chanhee anxious in his seat with his brain spinning and everything inside his chest shaking.

"I thought you were really cute. And I wanted to get to know you but it just never happened. So, that day in the cafe, I was trying to meet you in the middle so I could say hi but you were looking at your phone and I got nervous. I froze and you ran into me. They were laughing at me because so far, every time I've tried to talk to you, I've either messed it up or you've totally ignored me. It's become quite a running joke between all of them. Jaeyoon wouldn't shut up when we saw you walk through the door. So, basically, I'm really sorry you've been thinking whatever it is you've been thinking about me. And I want to change that, you know, if you'll give me a shot." 

Well.

That certainly wasn't what he was expecting to hear. 

But it seemed to fit the mood of the evening. 

Truth. Honesty. Letting it all out. Letting it all go. 

Chanhee wasn't sure what to say. He thought back to that tour, not remembering seeing Seokwoo there. But he was nervous that day, hyper focused on the life ahead of him, that he didn't really notice anyone else. 

So, he swallowed his fears, his anxieties, and thought about all the times he'd pushed away the thoughts of how handsome Seokwoo was, how he had a brilliant smile and a beautiful song of a laugh. It was impossible to ignore him now. Impossible to push anything away. So he didn't. He let himself feel those thoughts, embrace them and sink into them. 

It was a weird feeling, really. How in one moment, everything just seemed to fall. Every brick he'd shoved into that wall. Chanhee always imagined it would take a long time for them to fall, to be broken down, but it wasn't like that. It was simple and quick. 

"You thought I was cute?" 

And the tension was broken.

Seokwoo laughed, full and bright, and leaned his head back with a groan, "I still do. It's not past tense." 

"This really is middle school. You have a crush on me." Chanhee was smiling now as Seokwoo groaned again, hiding his face in his hands like a child. 

"Don't make fun of me! I'm in a very vulnerable state right now. Plus, I get enough of that from my friends." 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just, wow."

Interesting how Chanhee noticed all the fireflies now, heard the music of the crickets, felt the warm spring breeze on his skin. 

"Wow is right. I can't believe I just said all of that, god." Seokwoo had moved his head from his hands and now was laying it on the table, making Chanhee laugh truly from his chest. But it died down quickly and he cleared his throat again, setting his drink down and scooting forward a bit. 

"Hey, can you look at me for a second?" 

Seokwoo hesitantly lifted his head up, those curious eyes staring into his. 

It was his turn to speak his truth. There was no more hiding, he knew that. 

"I think you're cute too, for what it's worth. You said you wanted to change things about how I think about you if I give you a shot. I don't exactly know what that means and I don't think you do either. But I think I'm okay with that. I also want to apologize to you for creating this unfair image of you in my head for whatever reason. And for ignoring you. I told myself that you were the jerk but I think it's me who has been the jerk." 

Seokwoo was trying to hide his smile and Chanhee just rolled his eyes, "Don't get too excited." 

"But you're agreeing to give me a shot!"

"I don't even know what that means yet!" 

"A date. Let me take you on a date. We can get to know each other more and I promise I won't spill anything on you. If there's nothing there, no chemistry or sparks or whatever, at least we can say we tried and we'll call it even. Call it friends or whatever," Seokwoo resembled a puppy, the way his eyes were wide and his smile wide, how he was moving in his chair, "Just one date." 

For whatever reason, maybe it was the way he felt like he floating for the first time, but he didn't think they would have to worry about chemistry or lack there of. 

They were two corner puzzle pieces. They didn't fit together exactly. But when put into place, made the entire puzzle come together. 

"Alright," He nodded, "One date." 

It would take time, they both knew that. But Chanhee really had nothing but time. Time to build something other than a wall, a new defense. Time to grow and learn. 

He was never a big believer in cheesy sayings but he remembered one as Seokwoo reached his hand out and Chanhee slid his on top of it, feeling a lot like when Kokoro had touched his chest. An electric shock without the powers, without the magic. This was real. It was organic, from just them. 

You can't change everything in one night, but one night can change everything. 

**Author's Note:**

> this was a commission for my dear friend [mar](https://twitter.com/baekzuho)
> 
> it was a TON of fun to write this one and wow young k was supposed to be a minor character  
> but  
> we both love that stinky boy and he was the one who ended up bringing these idiots together so  
> SUCH AS IT GOES I GUESS
> 
> thank you so so much mar. you're a wonderful friend and i appreciate you so so much. 
> 
> if you'd like to, check out my [twitter](https://twitter.com/hongshus)  
> i'm still open for commissions and i write for a lot of different groups 
> 
> comments and kudos always appreciated !!!!
> 
> thanks again mar, love you <3


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